Tanjoubi omedetou
by Annie-chan
Summary: 09-19-2011 Happy birthday, Yumichika! Pure fluff, contains IkkaYumi. Ikkaku has a little surprise in store for our favorite narcissist. Shounen-ai cuteness.


**Author's Notes:** I've fallen completely in love with Yumichika, as well as IkkaYumi. I realized that Yumichika's birthday was around the corner (September 19th), and decided to write a birthday fic for him. I've never written a birthday fic for a character before. Maybe this'll change that, maybe it won't. We'll see.

_Bleach_ and its characters don't belong to me, but to Kubo Tite. If it did, IkkaYumi would be canon, and another of my favorite characters (I won't say who) wouldn't have kicked it. Yar.

Note: "Tanjoubi omedetou" is "happy birthday" in Japanese.

**Tanjoubi**** omedetou  
><strong>By Annie-chan

"Ik-ka-kuuuuu!"

Yumichika fairly bounced out of the bathroom, the skirt of his spring-green yukata swirling around his legs as he moved. He had just finished his bath, his hair still damp, and he was all but giddy as he rejoined his friend and lover in the bedroom. Today, his birthday, had been all but perfect, the only low point being a late-morning incident involving a raccoon dog, Hitsugaya-taichou, and a skewer of takoyaki balls.

Now, it was evening, and he and Ikkaku had come home from a party at the Eleventh Division headquarters celebrating the fifth seat's birthday. Zaraki Kenpachi and his subordinates happily took any excuse to break out the booze, and Yumichika's birthday was as good a reason as any. Yachiru had taken the opportunity to braid blue and purple ribbons into Yumichika's hair, as well as stick a red adhesive bow onto Ikkaku's head. The bow had come off as soon as the vice-captain had her back turned. Yumichika had accepted his adornment more graciously, favoring the girl with a hug and a pat on the head.

Yumichika and (surprisingly) Ikkaku hadn't partaken in the alcohol as heavily as their teammates. They both wanted to be fairly sober for their own private celebration later on. Yumichika wanted to be able to remember his birthday the next day, and Ikkaku didn't want to spoil his longtime companion's enjoyment by being falling-down drunk himself.

Ikkaku had removed the satin ribbons from Yumichika's hair upon their arrival home, and then had suggested that his lover take a bath as he prepared his birthday gift. Yumichika, eager to see what Ikkaku had in store for him, readily complied.

"Oh, my!" Yumichika exclaimed as he saw his gift on the low table in the corner of the room. His face lit up with delight.

Ikkaku smiled at the other man's reaction. "You like 'em?"

"Oh, Ikkaku!" Yumichika breathed, an enchanted smile stretching his lips as he knelt at the table as well. "They're beautiful!"

On the table sat a crystal vase holding a dozen roses in full bloom. Four were white, four were red, and four were pink. White baby's breath filled out the arrangement, making the larger blossoms appear to be floating among a puff of clouds.

"Thank you, darling," Yumichika said, looking at Ikkaku. His eyes sparkled with affection.

"Yeah, well," Ikkaku shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down, as if embarrassed. "The lady at the flower shop practically picked it out for me when I told her what I wanted flowers for. She said that in the language of flowers in the West, white roses mean purity, pink roses mean love, and red roses mean passion. Describes how I feel for you perfectly, I thought."

"Pure, passionate love," Yumichika sighed, leaning toward the bouquet and inhaling delicately. "Mmm, they smell lovely." He turned to Ikkaku, winding his arms around the taller shinigami's neck. "It's a wonderful present, lover. Very romantic."

Ikkaku chuckled, then purred as Yumichika pressed closer and kissed him. He knew Yumichika would like the flowers. The raven-haired man held beauty in the highest regard, and Ikkaku knew that he considered flowers to be Nature's most consummate expression of beauty. That coupled with the fact that roses were often said to be one of the most beautiful flowers, and his gift had about a snowball's chance in Hell of being unappreciated.

"I don't know if you noticed," the third seat said as they parted, "but there's a peacock carved into the vase."

"Oh?" Yumichika looked at the vase's glossy surface more closely. "Oh! There is!" The regal bird stood proudly upon the smooth crystal, its long train of tail feathers wrapping around the tapered vessel.

"I saw that and knew it was the vase I needed," Ikkaku explained. "I mean, Fuji Kujaku and all. And...well...you're not exactly unlike a peacock yourself."

Yumichika laughed. Having a zanpakutou named "Wisteria Peacock" would by itself associate him with the bird pretty strongly, but add to that the fact that he loved showing off his beauty and grace for others to admire, reminiscent of the male peafowl's courtship display, and the association of "peacock" and "Ayasegawa Yumichika" was all but reflexive among those who met him. It was difficult to know who he was and _not_ form a connection between him and the vividly-plumaged pheasant.

"Oh, Ikkaku," he smiled. "You know me so well! You're much more romantic than you let on."

Ikkaku grunted. "Just don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Of course not," Yumichika grinned. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Good." Ikkaku stroked his hands up either side of Yumichika's neck and then back down to his shoulders, squeezing the muscles there lightly. "Turn around. Let me help you relax." His voice was soft, affectionate. It was a voice that only Yumichika was privileged enough to hear.

Yumichika smiled again, fondness in his gaze. He sat up on his knees, turned, and settled back down, facing away from Ikkaku.

The larger warrior's strong hands came down on his shoulders, stroking and kneading gently. To everyone else, he was an uncouth, bloodthirsty crackerjack who settled all disputes with his sword and never bothered to justify his violent tendencies. When he and Yumichika were alone, however, his tender side emerged, and he would never, _ever_ even _consider_ harming his longtime companion in _any_ way. Yumichika had been the first to bring this side of him to the fore; he had in fact been the one to make him realize this side of him even existed. He would reveal this aspect of himself to no one else. It wasn't that he was embarrassed by his "soft" side; Yumichika was simply the only person special enough to him that he was willing to lower his guard and open his heart when alone with him. It was a testament to the deep bond they shared.

They sat there quietly, Ikkaku massaging Yumichika's neck and shoulders, both of them relaxing into a comfortable silence. The raven-haired man's eyes drifted closed, a faint smile on his lips, enjoying the treatment his lover was giving him.

"Yumichika," Ikkaku whispered after a short while, leaning forward and murmuring just behind the curve of Yumichika's ear.

"Yes?" Yumichika whispered back just as quietly.

"You know I love you more than anything." It was not a question.

"Mmhm."

"And you know I'd give you the moon and stars, if I could."

"Mmhm." Yumichika's smile stretched wider. His prideful side was basking in the praise, his feathers flaring out with every adoring word, though there was no denying that heartfelt, selfless love was also welling up in his chest and throat. Ikkaku was the one person he put entirely above himself in importance, and hearing such words from the man affected him on every level of his being.

"Well, this isn't a moon or a star, but I hope you like it just the same." Ikkaku's hands came away from Yumichika's shoulders for a brief moment, and then something was being fastened around his neck, snug but not nearly tight enough to be uncomfortable. There was the touch of cool metal at the hollow of his throat.

Yumichika's eyes popped open, surprised. His hands flew to his neck as Ikkaku's moved away again. There was some kind of band around his neck, about a centimeter wide, with a metal object in front. He tried to look down at it, but it was too short for him to see. He looked back at Ikkaku with a questioning look, but all he got in response was an enigmatic smile.

He stood, still fingering the thing around his neck, and hurried over to his mirror.

"Oh..." he breathed as he saw his reflection.

There was a choker around his neck. A black band encircled his throat, and hanging from it was a pendant of white gold, shaped into the first kanji of his name, that which read "yumi" and signified the bow.

"Ikkaku..." he whispered, touching the pendant, and then the band. It was definitely silk.

"You like?" Ikkaku asked, coming up behind him and wrapping his arms loosely around the smaller man's waist.

"Of course!" Yumichika said, looking up and over his shoulder at Ikkaku, smiling brightly. "It's lovely! This silk is so soft, and the gold...it must have been expensive."

"Yeah, well," Ikkaku answered, tilting his head to the side, "your birthday only comes once a year. I wanted to get you something special."

"You know I'd love even stainless steel and cotton from you," Yumichika said with a giggle.

"I know," Ikkaku smiled back. "You deserve gold and silk, though."

Yumichika laughed, turning around in Ikkaku's embrace and kissing him. Ikkaku growled and deepened the kiss, his hold around Yumichika's waist tightening until he was almost lifting the smaller man off the floor. Yumichika's arms were wound loosely around Ikkaku's neck and shoulders, though one hand was curled into a fist in the fabric of Ikkaku's shirt just below his nape.

"It's been a wonderful birthday," Yumichika sighed as they parted, his breath slightly labored. He leaned up and gave Ikkaku a brief kiss at the corner of his lips. "Come to bed now, lover. I want this birthday to go out with a bang."

Ikkaku grinned roguishly. "You don't have to tell _me_ twice." He let himself be tugged over to the futon, where he laid Yumichika out and then lost himself in his lover's body and presence. It was a long time before either of them got to sleep that night.

Yumichika ever after wore that necklace. Concealed beneath the orange knitted garment he wore around his neck, it was a beloved secret he and Ikkaku kept between themselves.

**End**

**Author's Notes:** Pure, cavity-inducing fluff, that's what this is. I realize that Ikkaku is really OOC compared to his canon self, but since this is a "behind closed doors" type of fic, I don't think it's out of line. I imagine Yumichika bringing out Ikkaku's softer side when they're alone together, and I wanted this fic to illustrate that. I hope it's believable.

Yes, peafowl are members of the pheasant family, and yes, the kanji for "yumi" in Yumichika's name signifies the bow (as in archery, not the knot or the gesture of respect). I've heard some people define "yumi" as "arrow," but the word for "arrow" is "ya," and written with an entirely different kanji. "Yumi" means the projector, not the projectile.

Consider that your language lesson for the day.

I would love to hear what fellow IkkaYumi fans think of this fic. I hope it's appropriately well-written for our favorite perfectionist's birthday. It got longer than I anticipated, but I have myself to blame for that. I have a tendency to describe everything in detail, though I suppose I shouldn't complain about it. People tell me the descriptiveness of my writing makes it enjoyable to read.

Please review, and I'm sure I'll be writing more fics for this pairing. I hope so, anyway.


End file.
